Astor Court Building

Astor Court Building is a 13-story residential structure at the corner of West 89th Street and West 90th Street on the Upper West Side. At its center sits a landscaped courtyard that brings greenery into the middle of the building for the 164 apartments inside.

Charles A. Platt designed the building in 1916 for Vincent Astor, a wealthy real estate owner, during a period when the Upper West Side was expanding. The construction reflected a trend where well-off New Yorkers built large residential structures with private garden spaces.

The building shows how early 20th-century residents wanted green spaces within their homes and communities. You can see this idea still at work today in the sheltered courtyard, which offers quietness away from the busy street outside.

The building sits right on Broadway and is easy to reach on foot from nearby subway stations. While the interior courtyard is private for residents, you can appreciate the architecture from the street, especially the symmetric facade facing the avenue.

The interior garden courtyard may have been designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, a renowned landscape architect known for her innovative garden designs. This detail makes the courtyard far more than just a green break, but rather a thoughtfully crafted work of design in the heart of the block.